6 days Ago By [email protected] (Zahra Khaliq)
A Brit who had to be rushed to hospital in Benidorm has been slapped with a £60,000 bill - after his insurer refused to cover his medical costs because he had a glass of wine with dinner. Robert Atkinson, 67, says he is now being "held hostage" at the Spanish hospital where he had to undergo emergency spinal surgery after waking up one morning unable to move. The pub landlord , whose pals often call him 'Benidorm Bob' for his frequent travelling there, was having a meal with his wife Carol, 64, during thier trip when he suddenly collapsed.
Robert managed to get to his bed with the help of his mobility scooter and Carol - but the next morning, he found he was unable to move from the waist down. Doctors at the hospital discovered Robert's vertebra had collapsed due to a small tumour that was weakening his spine, leaving him unable to walk. He was then rushed into emergency spinal surgery on April 6, after which the couple were told their travel insurer Zurich would not be covering the costs - because there were traces of alcohol found in Robert's blood.
The family were also horrified to learn that Robert was unknowingly taken to a private hospital in a private ambulance not covered by insurance. His stepdaughter Amanda Liddle says the couple’s insurance company, Zurich Insurance, have "washed their hands" of the situation and have refused to pay up, MailOnline reports. She said: "The insurance company has washed its hands of it now because he had been at a private hospital.
"They also said he had alcohol in his system but they were on holiday in Benidorm. It is not as if he was excessively drunk. They had been out for a meal before their flight home the next day and had shared a bottle of wine.
It’s not like that would affect his spine. The insurance company has really got them held hostage, as does the hospital." Robert remains in the intensive care unit still unable to walk as his medical bill continues to grow while the pair wait for a fit to fly letter.
Zurich Insurance says Robert was treated in a private hospital, had been taking medication not listed on insurance form and had traces of alcohol in his system, so it does not have to cover his costs. His family have meanwhile launched a GoFundMe page to help pay off the bills and bring him back home. Ms Liddle said: "What has made matters worse is that when the hotel rang for an ambulance they automatically called a private service that took Robert to a private hospital.
The insurance won’t cover operations in a private hospital but no one was aware of this and unfortunately due to the severity of the injury, he had to go through with the operation then and there. "It was only the next day, however, that they discovered they were in a private hospital when the insurance company said it would not cover the costs. It is all very, very scary.
Bob is in a lot of pain and highly frustrated. ‘Everyone just wants to get him back to the UK so he can be treated closer to home. "My mum is very stressed with it all.
She doesn’t speak Spanish and is having to use Google Translate to speak to doctors. She is so worried about everything - not just about the health of my stepfather but the monetary side of things and how they are going to pay the bill. It is a huge concern.
" The Mirror has contacted Zurich Insurance for comment..
